Yes, this isn’t the first time we’re seeing this particular rumor out and about: Asus is either building a cheaper Nexus 7 version for Google, or it’s creating its own budget-friendly device – even cheaper than the most affordable Nexus 7 out there. But we have fresh news for you, with just a few weeks to go until CES 2013 kicks off.

ADVERTISEMENT

It looks like the first photos taken with this $99 Asus device (model number ME172V) have hit Picasa already, and while EXIF data could be faked, we will point out the fact that we’ve seen plenty of unofficial device confirmations coming from Google’s image-sharing service so far this year.

The posted images have a resolution of 1280 x 720 and come from an “Asus Asus” Picasa account. Is it all a coincidence that we’re seeing them hit the web in late December or is Asus preparing its CES 2013 attack?

Either way, the budget tablet battle is not finished yet, with more and more players being interested to offer buyers cheap 7-inch devices. Would you be interested in an even cheaper Android tablet from Asus?